Gail Smith

We have a beautiful 2 bedroomed gite which sleeps 5 and a cot.  We have a lovely pool and advertise ourselves as a smallholding and so we appeal to people with children or those who are interested in our lifestyle and self sufficiency.  We are not expensive for what we offer and are usually booked for 12-14 weeks per annum which suits us as we work our smallholding and are busy people.  I also work as an acupuncturist and there are only so many hours in a day. We have another house located in our property and we have been thinking about making it into another gite as obviously there would be an increase in income for us and therefore contributing to our old age and also adding value to our property. Many of the people who book with us ask the question 'Is it the only gite on your property?' and therefore book because it is. I am thinking that should we increase our prices as they are seeking a sole gite with pool?  Obviously we are losing money by not having the second gite done and if we did I am sure we could get both booked for the main 6-8 weeks in the summer.  Then again having the potential of having double the visitors and double the kids and washing and ironing etc. Has anyone got any experience of this scenario and how did your bookings fare after you went to 2 gites with shared pool?   Gail

Chris, that is an incredibly kind offer but I am afraid that it would cost me a fortune in postage. How would you cut out the circle from a thick piece of wood if you were going to do it?  Would I (or hubby) need special tools? Gail x  

We live within about 3 miles of you and we grow them reasonably successfully.  The ground here is quite stony so they sometimes are funny shapes but taste wonderful.   Gail x

I have decided to post again on this issue only because, having looked more closely into the outcome of my particular registration experience, I have found that some of the commments made in the thread are not accurate' or at least the issues are not quite so black and white as we may be led to believe.  i am pretty sure that what i am writing below is well known to those really in the know about this issue anyway.... but i will post it anyway I have checked with the carte grise officials and the 100bhp limit is, in practice, 'notional' and not absolute. The 1980 law states a maximum of 73,6kw (100bhp) but the actual maximum power permissible is what is on the carte grise under the section (P2). Whatever that says, this is your LEGAL  limit (gendarmes, insurers, DRIRE, uncle tom cobbly and all). The carte Grise is the definitive document regarding this.  In my case, for an ST1300A, they  allowed me 109bhp on my carte grise... that is only 8bhp below the actual, maximum bhp of my Pan at the rear  wheel. Different bikes can have a different limit on their carte grise.( possibly depending on how much one smiles at the clerk...who knows!!).  I am going to check, definitively with my insurers if this is the reason they are happy to insure the bike in its UK spec.( which they clearly are as they have been given the 117bhp figure and i recieved my documents today) and will post the outcome, as it may be of use to others, particularly those with bikes which are not too far over the notional limit. If they  do want the 8bhp restriction, the only way may be to leave the old air filter and plugs in when its tested ...lol  

Ooops Chris I am really embarassed now...  I read somewhere about beech followers and so thought I would ask.  I have just told hubby that I asked and he wants to know why I dont use plywood which he says will do the job just as well. How do you cut a hole in a piece of plywood that will fit exactly?  Any advice?  I am not very good at cutting round corners..lol Gail x

I make cheeses which require pressing in a cheese press.  I use old confit de canard tins with the tops and bottoms cut out as moulds and I need some beech 'followers' made to go on the tops of the cheeses.  These are slightly smaller than the size of the tin and then the weight presses down on the follower and then presses the cheese.  Where could I get some of these followers made for me?  I have no idea where to go to get one and I need it cheaply otherwise I might as well go to Auchan and buy cheddar...lol. How much do you reckon it would cost to have some made up for me? I am in Northern Dordogne so someone fairly local would be good. If you know a man who can or the sort of artisan I need to make it then could you let me know? Gail xx

This is Gail now not Mike Chezstevens Are you saying then that Mike is committing a deception with the insurance for the bike?  If you are then we need to sort this out because there is no way that we want to be uninsured.  I thought that by declaring and showing all the paperwork to the impots, prefecture and the insurance company that we would be legal.  What more can we do? I am getting mightily fed up with this because we have done everything since this started to make sure that the bike we bought would be able to be registered here in France.  That is why Mike came in here to ask for advice. When we were looking on French ebay nearly every bike that we enquired about which was over the bhp limit and should have been restricted had the restriction removed.  Some offered to have it re-restricted so that they were selling a road legal bike but many 'crowed' about the fact that it had no restriction in the advert! We have not tried to dodge the system unlike many people I know who have bikes here.  We have been totally upfront and honest and I resent any implication that it is any other way. Gail

Thanks Bob. funny how something so mundane can give you a feel-good factor isn't it! As for the previous post regarding insurance....are some people never satisfied? I provide everything I am asked for by the authorities, who check them, type all the information from the C of C into the computer, which confirms it is legally entitled to a Carte Grise, which it then, very efficiently prints out. There I stand with the all important legal document which says my bike is now legally registered in France. Further,I have sent a copy of the carte grise to my insurers and they tell me i now own a fully insured French bike (and low and behold they even tell me Gail is entitled to ride it too....much better than the uk insurance system). Do i care that the bike maybe should be 10bhp less?.......DO I ****! Mike Happy riding everyone...

YESSSSSSS! RESULT!!!! Went to the Hotel d'Impots and then The Prefecture this morning and came home before lunch with a French Number plate for the ST1300!!! No power restrictions..as simple as that. The nice lady at the prefecture put my bike through on 'puissance fiscal' of 12cv. Its there in black and white on the Carte Grise. Thanks to everyone who gave me advise and especially to Sunday Driver whose definitive list of what to take with me today made it all go so smoothly. Off to burn my UK plates now! mike

Agree with everything you are both saying about the dodgers. It is correct about sending back the Export slip on the V5C; this is similar to doing a SORN as far as the DVLA are concerned and pushes your responsibility for excise to the country of export. (DVLA's words, not mine) So you do in effect get a period of grace to re-register the vehicle. It is also possible to be legal regarding this (tax) and MOT here during the process of re-registration. All you have to do is be up-front with your french insurers. Generali are insuring me, fully without reservation, without requiring MOT to validate the insurance, ( which they do only because it is impossible to CT a bike here) provided i start the registration process within 2 months (they will then renew the 2 month cover note, and finish the process within the 12 month insurance period. Now i don't think you can say fairer than that, especially as my bike needs restricting. I m ust admit i can't see why so many people do avoid the process when, in the context of all the other things we have to go through to live and work here, its not that difficult or expensive. mike

The law states that a vehicle has to be licensed in the country it is registered, regardless of where the vehicle is driven in the EU, until it is permenantly exported when it then has to conform to the local legislation. Same goes for the MOT.  I suppose its just too much hassle for the french police to follow this up, cos i have not heard of anyone being prosecuted. But there is always a first time i suppose!  

sunday driver thanks for the advise. i was hoping there was a way to avoid sending the V5C back as i want to get the bike changed over soon. I will do it all next week now. I think the issue on power rating is rather a contentious one which, normally I would steer well clear of discussing.  But this isn't Gail writing , ITS MIKE, so sod-it!..........Suffice to say that I have always intended to do whatever the system tell me regarding power restrictions as its all very well having a 'jack-the-lad approach' until you get caught, like when you get involved in an accident. The beauty with the ST1300 is its not only got 117bhp at the rear wheel, but more importantly its got 117Nm torque there too. If you want an exciting bike, in France, legally, change your mindset from power to torque. I had an R1 in the UK (and not the woosy EU version with the chips in to restrict power in the bottom two gears; mine was Canadian) and, yes, it was mindblowing. But I have to say, in 99% of useable situations, this 1300 Pan is seeringly quick solo in the range 0-100mph because of the torque and superb engine/gearbox design. (And if my testosterone gets a bit pent-up, i can still pull a wheelie, no problem at all...and not just in first either.) I agree that its pointless having a 150+BHP bike restricted to 100bhp; thats why i sold my R1 before i moved here. But we all decide to live here to find something different to life in the Uk. So why not take the same imaginative, open-minded approach to ones motorcycling...but don't go as far as buying Italian (Joke!!!! Honest!!!) Mike

Nice result Bob. Where exactly is the prefecture in Perigeuex? Its my local too. Anybody know if i have to send the V5C off to uk for change of keeper first, or if i can take it as it is? The reason I ask is I assume i also would have to send back the Notification of Permenant Export Slip, (DVLA will be aware that the bikes road tax has expired, but it has an MOT, though i am insured here in france) and I am not sure what would then happen next at DVLA. As I have a V5C in my hand at the moment, would hate to find i cause myself problems by tring to register as new keeper overseas and end up with no V5C to take to the prefecture!

Sunday Driver The C of C should arrive in the post for my Pan this week from Honda UK, so i will be off to perigueux next week to lock horns with bureaucracy! In teresting what you posted from the official french site...very useful. A couple of specific questions:- The two compulsory docs. are, i assume, the UK V5C, but what is the 'Certificate Fiscal'? in the 'other documents to furnish', I will have the C of C which I am assuming will say the BHP is 117. Should I get the power reduction done (and the docs to prove it) BEFORE I go to the prefecture, as I think this is the only 'non-conforming' aspect of the bike I will have to change. Or maybe if i just go there they won't notice the power difference!!! "Preparation is the Secret to success....and the essence of successful subtifuge!"

hi. i am back from the Uk with my lovely ( and i mean lovelyyyyyyyy!) ST1300A. Alls well that ends well, hey? And to close off the discussion on the e-bay issue; we mutually agreed to annul the transaction. I managed to contact a seller whos bike auction on e-bay ended whilst i was in the uk without reaching the reserve. He had already told me the reserve and when i contacted him, it was still available and when i went up to Derby to see it we did the deal. It truly is immaculate. Late 2002 green ABS model with just 16000 on the clock and serviced by Honda every 4000 miles. (And I got it at Trade price) It has the optional extras; electric screen, heated grips and Honda 'Comfort' Seat. All of which I can recommend if anyone is considering one of these and wondering if the options are worth it. I made good use of all them today as i drove through 3 hours of continuous torrential rain betweem Le Havre and Tours.  Thanks for all the help and advice (particularly Sunday Driver), I just have to take the C of C to bloody the civil servants...... but now its time to get on and enjoy it for real........ Cheers! mike

I dont want to go into the ins and outs of why it was not what it seemed on here but to talk generally about buying on ebay,  you can not continue with the purchase by mutual agreement or of course you risk bad feedback.  To be fair he had the cash in his hand when he got there and it was not that he was tricking anyone into holding it in reserve.  He was a very serious buyer but there is no way he is handing over 5K for a bike that isnt up to scratch.  With all the bikes he was interested in he told the vendors that we were in france and what the difficulties were with registering it here.  We had to make checks with Honda UK to make sure the bike was a uk import etc.  They all knew that he had to come over to test ride it and see it before handing over the money. We sold several bikes and cars and a motorhome for over 23k on ebay and have always been honest and truthful when selling and it has never let us down.  I would rather risk bad feedback than buy something I wasnt happy about. When we sold them we always were happy to sell with the proviso that after the test drive/ride they might not like it and withdraw from the sale.  Ebay allow for that. Gail xx

Hi Sunday Driver I thought I would update you on what is going on with the bike.  Mike is in the UK and went to see the bike but unfortunately it was not as he thought is was going to be! The camera does appear to lie...(I am being kind here).  Mike was terribly disappointed as obviously he had not booked return flights and he has no transport there.  He has managed now to borrow a Bandit from my Brother in Law and is contacting owners of other bikes available on ebay that he had bid on and is going to see a couple over the weekend. As I said he is very disappointed but it is a lot of money to us and he doesnt want to make a mistake. I am sure he will come back and let you know what is going on when he returns. Gail xx

well i have bought it! maanged to get it for £4900, which i am very pleased with. its difficult to get even a 10 year old BMWR1100RT over here for that, and the Pans I have found have all been selling for at least £6000, so i am glad i decided to buy in the uk. Your advice helped me a lot with this...so thanks. The lights have no bias at all on the ST1300, so there is no difference between those fitted to french bikes or Uk imports, and as you say, they are adjustable. i am going over to uk to collect it friday, see my family and ride back on Monday..really looking forward to it. au revoir to you all brrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm............brrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmm!!

I am hoping this is my last question I am about to buy the 2002 ST1300. If you want to see the bike, the ebay link is below as your comments and opinions are always valued. I have the VIN and Honda UK have confirmed to me that it was imported by them and is a Uk bike. It has a full Certificate of Conformity, as all Pan Europeans had this from 2002 onwards. I understand that this still means i will have to have the bikes power reduced a bit and that the speedo will be ok as its dual scale, but if its got the full conformity cert. rather than an attestation, will that mean that the headlight will not need to be changed? ie. that it conforms also? The bike looks very clean FSH and a genuine sale and the price looks reasonable at £5k. What do you think? Any comments greatly appreciated. many thanks mike & Gail oops forgot the link http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220033092747&sspagename=ADME%3AL%3ARTQ%3AUK%3A1&rd=1

i hate computers!!!!!!! i have just typed a reply TWICE and lost it before posting! so here goes and this one has to be shorter. Many thanks for the comments. i am looking at several pans now on e-bay. the one you looked at for me may not be uk spec...so steering clear until i know. Am looking too at a 2002 model ST1300 whose owner has contacted Honda and they are sending him its cert of conformity...i thought only post 2003 had these? Does this mean i don't have to change the lights and speedo? will i simply have to go the french registration offices and not have to go thro' all the garage mods etc? I assume this pan is too powerful though and will have to be restricted? when i finally buy one, i will have to buy you a bottle of your favourite tipple:-)

thanks very much..thats great information. So i am wasting my time asking the vendors to contact Honda Uk for a cert.of conformity as per 2003 bikes. I will contact them again and ask them to confirm, absolutely, that the bikes are UK imports as that seems to be the only real no-go situation. I forgot you had a Pan as well. I am still looking at the possibility of buying a french one but even a 1991 model seems to be 4000 euro on e-bay, whilst in Uk I am following a couple of mid-90's bikes with low mileage for less than that. Have even found a 1990 model for less than 2000 euros. I am pulled towards the french bikes though, as there is always that nagging doubt that the system here might bite back and i find i can't register it. As you have one, do they all have ABS and traction control or was it introduced later? i am interested in the one in the ebay link below and this has both and its a 1995 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=020&item=300032220419&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1 I really hope i can find a good one at the right price cos, after all the research and considering what my needs are in France (i definitely don't need an R1 like I had before) i think the pan is perfect for our needs.

i am back again with another query as i missed the bike i was chasing on e-bay. I am now looking at buying a pan european, again from uk. I remember Sunday Driver mentioning that post 2003 bikes all have the ec conformity dertificate. I am looking at pre-2003 bikes; specifically a 1998 and 2000 model. Will Honda Uk still be able to issue this partial certificate, that Sunday Driver mentioned? Is there anything else (for older bikes) that i need to be aware of regarding conformity before buying? Does anyone have any knowledge or opinions on importing a pan european (ST1100)? cheers

thanks to all for the replies...especially the links to the FJR owners site where there was indeed a discussion on exactly my question. Its nice when considering laying out this sort of dosh on a uk bike, to know for sure that somebody else has successfully gone through the same process with exactly the same bike..you hear so many horror stories on this issue. And now i know why there are so many ebay auctions for FJR inlet pipes...i guess everyone over here who has one, has two sets..a legal set and the 'adrenalin' set :-) mmmmmmmmm I have now taken off my leathers as i feel i am closer to being able to use them in anger!! just got to get up the courage to part with the cash. thanks again mike

Thanks for that Liz and Sunday driver.  Lots of information to think about and research. We left an R1 and a 1200 Bandit in the UK because we couldnt see that we could get them registered here.  We have been bikeless for over 2 years and the strain is beginning to tell.  Last night Mike went to try his leathers on just to make sure they still fitted and then refused to take them off and sat all evening in them........ lol. I had to laugh at the Bikerbabes thing, I have my grandchildren staying at the moment so I am a bit past bikerbabing... We will look at the sites you mentioned and maybe have a rethink about getting a UK bike.   Gail

I have read the response from Sunday driver to the recent question on importation and am about to get myself into a similar, but not identical, situation. I am buying a bike on uk e-bay and have only got 4 days before the bike auction ends..so am trying to get some information to help me before then. Because the uk prices are sooooo much lower than here, I am about to buy 2003 Yamaha FJR 1300 off ebay uk which is 140+ BHP. I am not clear from Sundaydrivers answer to "Allmech's" question on importation, whether the 'EU whole vehicle certificate of conformity' is an actual piece of paper which comes with the bike, like the registration document, or something which I have to get; either when i buy in uk or when i bring it over here. I would like to know so that i can be clear on what to ask the seller to provide. I am also not sure if the response to "Allmech's" question is still aplicable to me as his bike is actually within the French legislation BHP limit...mine will not be and presumably will need something more...and cost more too! I am also interested in anyones comment on the fact that most of these big bikes for sale in france privately ( and i have been looking at R1's, SuprBlackbirds and GSXR 1000's) are all at their full horsepower, not limited to 106bhp! I know for a fact that the superblackbird's restriction is just a simple, reversible mechanical exhaust modification, though i think some of the others are electronic restrictions. Anybody got any knowledge on how the FJR 1300 is restricted. Its a very modern, electronic bike so i suspect its something which is not easy to reverse. And and BIG question......how much (roughly) does it cost to get a bike through this registration/modification process if its a 150bhp-type bike.   cheers gail